The present invention relates to gravity-feed storage and delivery systems for automatically conveying merchandise from a storage position to a delivery position, and particularly to an improved storage shelf and shelf support for use in such systems including an improved intermediate guide member separating rows of merchandise from each other.
The present invention is an improvement upon the applicants' invention disclosed and claimed in U.S. Ser. No. 136,396 filed Apr. 1, 1980 for Gravity-Feed Storage and Delivery System. Such gravity-feed storage and delivery systems are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,063,534 granted Nov. 13, 1962 to J. St.Amour and 3,900,112 granted Aug. 19, 1975 to V. D. Azzi et al. As outlined in that prior patent application and those patents, such systems afford a number of advantages over standard shelving in industry, warehousing and retailing applications. Such rack assemblies typically comprise a plurality of vertically-spaced storage shelves mounted upon upstanding support frames, the storage shelves being inclined slightly from the horizontal to provide an inclined ramp down which merchandise can slide from the back to the front of the rack assembly. Prior art arrangements include vertical-front racks with the front columns of the support frames being vertical and with the front edges of the shelf frames all being in vertical alignment with one another. There are also provided "layback" arrangements, wherein the front support columns of the support frames are inclined rearwardly, with the shelf frames being arranged in a front-to-back staggered relationship to facilitate access to the merchandise stored thereon, particularly the removal of individual items from cartons.
In both of the standard arrangements, the storage shelves are connected at the same points thereon to the support frames by means of hanger clips or the like, the clips typically fitting into cutout notches or recesses in the shelf frames. There is no provision for supplying support for the storage shelf intermediate the ends thereof in the case of a long storage shelf, such intermediate support requiring an infinitely adjustable relationship between the mounting clip and the intermediate support frame member. Difficulty also has been encountered in providing intermediate guide members for such unusually long storage shelves, the intermediate guide members being useful to separate adjacent rows of merchandise from each other. Typically, support must be provided adjacent to the center of the intermediate guide member to prevent bowing thereof upon contact by merchandise, yet such connecting structure cannot be reached from the ends of the storage shelf when the storage shelf has a length of eight feet or greater.
Finally, when constructing extremely long storage shelves, it is necessary to interconnect two or more side frame members, such interconnection often providing obstructions which interfere with the smooth flow of merchandise down the storage shelf from the storage area to the delivery area.